- P. O. Box 68– 40100 Kisumu, Kenya.
- neri.boyz.kisumu@gmail.com Talk to us: +254 700 313 086
- Mon - Sun 9.00 - 18.30 Karibu mgeni mwema!
St. Philip Neri Rescue Centre
St. Philip Neri Rescue Centre is a CBO (Community based organisation) located in Nyalenda slum, the suburb of Kenya’s Kisumu town.
The principal aim of our activity is addressing the acute social problem spread throughout Kenya- disturbing number of homeless children.
Since its official establishment in 2016, SPNR has been operating under the auspices of the St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Work in Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak Republic.
THANKS TO YOUR HELP WE HAVE AQUIRED AND RENOVATED OUR NEW HOME
To ensure the healthy development of our children, we have acquired a new, dignified home near Lake Victoria. We have renovated it not only to meet local legal requirements, but also, thanks largely to you, our supporters, we have built a football field, playground, small garden and bread oven.
All this was made possible thanks to the generosity and goodwill of you - benefactors, sponsors and friends. For this, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts on behalf of our reborn children.
An Urgent Task for Humanity
According to the UN statistics, 150 million children are currently exposed to the life on streets due to various issues and conflicts.
The Kenyan government estimates the number of street children within its borders at 300 thousand souls, the youngest being only around four years old.
Street Children of Kenya
There has been no particular armed conflict in the Republic of Kenya since its liberation from British colonial rule in 1963.
Homeless children, often addicted to drugs, whose presence on the streets is a daily part of local life, is attributed to many factors. The main ones are poverty, hunger, complex and expensive access to education, as well as the inefficiency of state social policies.
WHERE IS THE HOPE?
Many of the street kids are doomed to a short, miserable future. The damage caused to the child's soul through violence, drugs and a callous street is irreversible. Even if armies of social workers operated around the world, these deep wounds would forever remain a social and health complication for many of them. This fate is defined by a lack of international publicity and consequential short financial resources.
'If you save one life, it is as you saved the entire world.'
Our rescue program is based on this well-known Jewish proverb. This is the core of our program.
WHAT IS OUR APPROACH?
Despite all the adversities, there are children who are still able to consciously create their future. Their body and mentality have not been irretrievably destroyed. They were strong enough to withstand the circumstances of street life.
Our social workers are natives of the local community and are specially trained to identify children with a chance of remedy, which are then admitted to our program.
RESCUE
Our social workers establish relationships with new potential cases during their fieldwork in the city centre, at locations where the children typically spend their time (bus station or one of the city parks). Thus, the first step of the upbringing process at SNPR usually starts on the street, where our social workers can evaluate the chances for reintegration as well as possible threats for the centre (some children have dangerous tendencies).
Some children who were not reached by our staff come straight to our gate, whose location is well-known in the street community. These cases tend to be tricky due to absence of prior contact, but we cannot reject them.
After a brief observation of social behaviour in our controlled environment, we are ready to admit the newcomer.
REHABILITATE
The rehabilitation process begins with an admission dialogue (informal, in the native language) between the child and our social worker. This is how we begin to collect specific data about the family history and its relationship to the child’s situation.
The core of rehabilitation is to remove the feeling of constant threat and to build a mutual relationship of trust. With these, it is possible to continue to develop empathy, discipline and morality. A full daily program hopes to gradually eliminate the temptation of substance abuse.
During the rehabilitation phase, we involve the child in tutoring that takes place every morning. In this way we can assess the level of basic knowledge needed for school attendance and tutor them individually until they are ready to join school.
REINTEGRATE
Merging with the culture that surrounds and affects our lives is the basis for every functional member of society. Once a child has been fully rehabilitated and is proven capable of coexisting within a collective, we try to re-establish family bonds with the relatives who agree to accept this responsibility. If there are no relatives available, we try to find a guardian family within one of the communities familiar to us. These guardians are usually not wealthy, so we provide them with some material support (depending on their specific situation). We also fully cover all education expenses.
After the successful placement of the re-born pupil, our team continually visits the new home to ensure suitable conditions and long-term stability. In some cases unexpected obstacles arise, if they are insurmountable, the integration process is reopened.
Unexpected Arrivals
Unfortunately, our resources fall short of the vast number of children in need on the streets. Many have missed too much schooling and may exhibit challenging behavior, making their immediate reintegration difficult.
Our team connects to the street children in the field, so we are able to prepare the procedure for the new admission. Nevertheless, if a child in need knocks on our door asking for help, we cannot refuse.
Last Resort
Our main goal is to place each child in the local community so that the individual is fully prepared for social reintegration.
If there is no capable guardian or relative, we are able to provide a temporary home. In this case, we provide all the basic necessities for life. The guidance and discipline, meaningful leisure time and of course, education at the local school.